Surgery in Harrow question

[Ari]

Hi all,

I'm suffering from stricturing Crohn's and going to have an elective surgery in Harrow, London, which is THE place to have it done in my neck of the woods.

My surgeon wants to do it open as I'm not in good shape from all the suffering and my funny looking tummy. I mean at times you can see the dilated loops and gas moving inside me as it reaches the stricture and balloons in front of it.

Anyroad, is there anyone out there who's had it done in Harrow? If so, I would appreciate any info I can get from you guys before I go under the knife. It will be my first and naturally I get the jitters because I think that an awful lot of my gut has been affected by CD, but it will only get worse if I put it off again.

Also, please, do give me the good, the bad and the ugly about your surgeries and procedures you had in the past...
:ybatty:

 

[mehtadone]

One thing to note in Harrow, I had some surgery done in Northwick park recently, and I would would strongly recommend that you make them do any investigative procedures if anyone mentions it. I had some bad experience where some of the docs and the nurses wanted me to get a MRI and then the consultant decided not to. I went to see my normal GI at Guy's Hospital and he was shocked that they didnt do as a matter of urgency.

 

[Misty-Eyed]

Mehtadone, was it Northwick Park or St Marks? St Marks is on the same site but is actually a separate hospital which specialises in GI problems.

Ari, I go to St Marks but haven't had any surgery done there yet, so sorry I can't help more. Hope everything goes ok though. Let me know how it goes.

 

[mehtadone]

It was at Northwick Park. My GP sent me there for an emergency abscess drainage and they concluded it wasn't urgent to check if it was a fistula. I have Crohn's. From what I understand, St. Marks doesn't do any surgery, its normally done at Northwick park with St Marks doctors but don't quote me on that one!

 

[Ari]

I remember flaring like mad once and I got in touch with my consultant at St Marks to speed things up and she said they didn't have facilities to deal with emergencies and that everything was done through Northwick park. Luckily I improved in a day or two and didn't have to have it done back then.